Display and electronic advances have dramatically increased the popularity of portable electronic devices. Notebook computers and personal organizers have become common accessories to many mobile professionals as well as students. However, portable printers have not achieved the same degree of popularity.
Several factor deter portable printer development. One factor is that the free flight of ink in traditional jet printing systems result in high directional tolerances. As a result, high image quality inkjet systems use a multi-pass architecture (a traveling printhead). Such multipass systems utilize motors in two directions, one to move the printhead across the width of the paper, and a second to move the paper lengthwise through the printer. The two directions of movement increases system costs, increases the weight of the printing system and also reduces printer system reliability, especially during travel.
A second problem with portable printers is power consumption. Thermal and piezo-electric printers use substantial amounts of power to move the printhead, move the paper and also heat or otherwise jet the ink. High power consumption quickly drains the batteries of portable printing systems.
Traditional printing mechanisms also place strict tolerances on the type of ink that may be used. Failure to use ink of a specific viscosity and purity can quickly jam the nozzles and channels of the ink jet printing system. In addition, special papers that absorb the ink at a predetermined rate are often needed for acceptable performance. These limitations are undesirable in a low cost portable printing system.
Thus an inexpensive, durable and flexible portable printing system is needed.